European emergency number 112 now works in
all EU Member States

People can now reach emergency services from
anywhere in the EU, simply by dialling 112, the single European emergency
number. Now that 112 can be called from any phone in Bulgaria, it has achieved
complete availability just before the Christmas period when thousands of people
travel between EU Member States to visit family, hit the slopes or look for
winter sun. It also crowns the combined efforts of the European Commission and
EU Member States to make 112 fully available everywhere so that Europeans will
always have a lifeline in the EU.

"112 working everywhere in the EU is a nice present to all Europeans, and
the timing is perfect: during the holiday season of hectic travel people will
spend a lot of time in other EU countries. From now on I expect 112 to be an
essential travel companion for holiday makers in every corner of the EU,"
said Viviane Reding, the EU Telecoms Commissioner. “There is still work
to be done by the EU Member States, but the first target of having a single
emergency number has been achieved. I am very glad that our efforts to make sure
Member States get the common emergency number in place have paid off, because
now we can see how the Europe of results can help people in everyday
life.”

The single European emergency number 112 is now fully available in
Bulgaria – following an infringement procedure launched by the
Commission in October 2007 (IP/07/1530).
Since then, significant efforts have been undertaken by the Bulgarian
authorities to catch up with other countries and implement 112. On 18 September
2008, the Commission decided to refer the case to the European Court of Justice,
but delayed it by three months to allow Bulgaria to finalise its implementation
plan (IP/08/1342).
The Commission has verified, through expert missions, that 112, as well as
caller location (which allows emergency services to locate people when they dial
112), is now fully available in Bulgaria. According to national authorities, a
campaign to increase awareness of Bulgarians on 112 should start soon. All this
could allow the Commission to close the infringement case against Bulgaria in
early 2009.

In September 2008, the Commission also gave Romania three extra months
to make sure caller location services were in place so that emergency services
would be able to locate any person calling 112 from a mobile phone (IP/08/1342).
At the end of November, Romanian authorities confirmed that caller location
information is available to emergency services for all calls made from mobile
phones. This information was looked into by Commission experts and could allow
the Commission to close the infringement case against Romania in early 2009.

Background:

The European emergency number 112 was introduced in 1991 to complement
national emergency numbers and make emergency services more accessible in all EU
Member States. Since 1998, EU rules require Member States to ensure that all
fixed and mobile phone users can call 112 free of charge. Since 2003, telecoms
operators must provide caller location information to emergency services.

Since 2006, on the initiative of EU Telecoms Commissioner Viviane Reding, the
Commission has launched infringement proceedings for lack of caller location
against 14 Member States, against Italy for the handling of 112 calls as well as
against 2 other countries for the lack of availability of 112 (see annex).

In June 2008 the Commission launched a website (ec.europa.eu/112) dedicated to 112 providing
information in all official EU languages to citizens who travel within the EU
(IP/08/836).
Areas for improvement still remain, such as for 112 centres to be able to
communicate with more than one language or have interpretation services
available. 17 EU countries reported they could handle calls in foreign EU
languages (IP/08/836).

The Commission will update its website with further information from all EU
Member States on the functioning of 112 on 11 February 2009, the 112 European
Day, which the Commission is organising jointly with the European Parliament.

Annex

State of infringement proceedings concerning
112

(Situation as of 15 December 2008)

Member State

Availability of 112 from fixed and mobile
telephones

Provision of caller location for fixed and mobile
calls

Call handling and answering

Austria

Belgium

Infringement closed in 2007

Bulgaria (*)

Infringement started in 2007

N/A

N/A

Cyprus

Infringement closed in 2006

Czech Republic

Germany

Denmark

Estonia

Spain

Finland

France

Greece

Infringement closed in 2007

Hungary

Infringement closed in 2007

Ireland

Infringement closed in 2006

Italy

Infringement started in 2006

Infringement started in 2008

Lithuania

ECJ judgment of 11 September 2008 finding infringement of the applicable EU
law

Luxembourg

Infringement closed in 2006

Latvia

Infringement closed in 2008

Malta

Netherlands

ECJ judgement of 9 October 2008 finding infringement of the applicable EU
law

Poland

Infringement closed in 2005

Infringement closed in October 2008

Portugal

Infringement closed in 2007

Romania (*)

Infringement started in 2007

Sweden

Slovenia

Slovakia

ECJ judgment of 25 July 2008 finding infringement of the applicable EU
law

United Kingdom

(*) Proceedings at European Court of Justice pending, depending on full
availability of 112. A mission of Commission experts in October and November
2008 has shown that this is now the case. This should enable the Commission to
close the case in early 2009.